


pitter-patter.

by danganronpa_wereverse



Series: Danganronpa NEXT Wereverse [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Birth, Childbirth, M/M, Mpreg, Pregnancy, Pregnant, Trans Male Character, Trans Mpreg, Trans Pregnancy, not erotic, not sexual
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-05-28 06:10:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19388110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danganronpa_wereverse/pseuds/danganronpa_wereverse
Summary: Gundham's used to the pitter-patter of little paws, but not quite like this.Wereverse AU. Contains pregnancy and childbirth, as well as trans characters. Don't like? Don't read.





	1. this is how it starts.

**Author's Note:**

> Very similar beginning notes to my last piece in this series, so if you haven't read it you might want to. As for species, Gundham is a Eurasian Grey wolf and Kazuichi is a Tsavo lion.

**this is how it starts. chapter one.**

If one was to ask Gundham Tanaka how he felt about the ordeal that was his pregnancy after he’d given birth, he would say “worth it.” If one was to ask him how he felt about it during the pregnancy -- especially during the nearly two weeks he was overdue at the end -- he would swear on the devil he would never do it again. By all accounts, it’s been a miserable experience for him, and were it not for Kazuichi’s unwavering support throughout, he thinks he might not have made it. There are things, he supposes, even the Dark Lord himself cannot handle alone.

This is one of them.

It starts nine months and thirteen days ago. Ibuki’s teamed up with Fuyuhiko of all people to throw a graduation party for class 77-B. Gundham’s not sure how she manages to get him to agree, and he’s also not sure why he agrees to go along with Kazuichi to the party. All he remembers is a few things: one, they drink like it’s the end of the world, and an 1800s-era doctor is coming to saw their limbs off, and two, he and Kazuichi fuck like it’s the last time they’re ever going to see each other before one goes off to the war.

Naturally, there is no doctor coming to remove their limbs, and there is no war, and it’s 2011 not 1811, but that doesn’t stop the consequences afterwards.

Gundham doesn’t think about the possibility of a pregnancy. He and Kazuichi are in love, yes, deeply, but he can’t see them with a litter anytime soon. Besides, he thinks, he wasn’t even in heat at the party. Conceiving outside of a heat cycle isn’t unheard of, but it’s difficult.

He doesn’t take into account the fact that pre-heat exists, as does ovulation. For once in his life, Gundham isn’t thinking about the process of mating and breeding until two things happen: his heat doesn’t come, and he misses a period.

Two hours later and he’s curled up in his bathroom, crying over a positive pregnancy test, with no clue in his mind of how to explain this to Kazuichi. He manages to stop the tears for long enough to tell Kazuichi to meet him at his house, and he tells his mother about the pregnancy quickly, like ripping off a bandaid to distract from the pain. And she smiles at him, tells him everything will be okay, even if Kazuichi decides he’s not going to stick around.

Then he’s bawling again, and doesn’t stop even when Kazuichi gets there, completely confused. Somehow, he tells him through shaking breaths and chattering teeth that _I’m pregnant, I’m pregnant and they’re_ _ **yours**_ _._

Gundham will never forget his reaction, because it’s burned into his mind in the best way.

Kazuichi squeaks “I’m -- I’m gonna be a _dad_?” in a voice nearly two octaves higher than his usual pitch. When Gundham nods, Kazuichi pulls him into his arms and holds him tight, spinning the bigger man around with almost no effort at all. Despite his smaller size, he’s strong, and Gundham suddenly feels very safe in his arms.

He spends the rest of the night curled up with Gundham, talking to his still-flat belly and rubbing circles with his fingers. Gundham has to admit, Kazuichi’s happiness is contagious.

For the moment, at least, they can enjoy this bliss.

* * *

There’s one shifter who is none too happy to hear the news about Kazuichi and Gundham’s cubs. They say Tsavo lions have cold hearts and colder personalities, and while Kazuichi certainly doesn’t, his father embodies the stereotype. Perhaps he resents his son for the resemblence he bears to his late mother. Perhaps the concept of his son being gay and in love with a transgender man is too much for him to fathom.

Or, perhaps, in Kazuichi’s words, he’s just an asshole. Either way, he doesn’t take kindly to the news. Gundham finds this out when Kazuichi shows up on his doorstep, and this time he’s the one in tears, sniffling and nursing a black eye.

Gundham takes him inside, cleans him up through his barely-contained rage, fuming as Kazuichi gives the details. He says the argument started when his father called Gundham a delusional woman, and continued to escalate from there until a certain line slips from Kazuichi’s lips.

_I’m gonna marry him, Pop._

Apparently, that’s what makes his father snap. Gundham can only sit in shock for a few seconds, before he starts to stand up, saying he’s going to “get rid of that menace of a mortal once and for all.” Only his mother, Fern, is able to stop him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t get your hands dirty, darling,” she says, her voice soft, sweet, and dripping with venom. “I’ll make sure that rat never puts a hand on Kazuichi again.”

She comes home with knuckles stained with someone else’s blood. Before either of the boys can panic, she explains that she just knocked him out, and the “idiot got blood on my hands” and that he’ll be fine in a few hours. But true to her words, Kazuichi’s father doesn’t attempt contact with him, physical or otherwise.

The rest of his belongings show up about a week later outside of their door, and Kazuichi’s never been happier.

* * *

After that, they focus on Gundham, and their unborn cubs, and his pregnancy. It’s a lot for Gundham, who’s used to being a loner, to take in. Of course, Sonia’s the first one they tell. She and Akane are back in Novoselic, and Sonia’s been busy with introducing the public to her stunningly gorgeous girlfriend with an outrageous appetite and uncanny ability to bullshit a gymnastics routine and make it appear choreographed, but she’s not so busy that she can’t take Gundham’s call.

The scream she gives over the phone is nearly enough to deafen him, and after being bombarded with excited questions for a bit (and saying hello to Kazuichi, who’s happy to hear from his “big sis”), they say their goodbyes. Gundham thinks nothing of it.

Then the next day, Nekomaru’s calling him, crying about how he’s sorry he couldn’t keep his “big mouth shut.” Gundham’s confused for all of thirty seconds, and then the calls start rolling in. By far the most interesting are Fuyuhiko’s (“So, you got knocked up too? Great.”) and Ibuki’s (“IBUKI INDIRECTLY MADE A WHOLE BUNCH OF BABIES ISN’T THAT AWESOME?!”) calls. Everyone else is mainly just congratulations, well-wishes, and a promise from Sagishi (their classmate once known only as the Imposter) to buy whatever they might need for the cubs.

And then, looking back on it, it feels like the rest of the pregnancy goes by so fast. One minute, it’s the first trimester, and Gundham’s struggling through morning sickness and emotions. Then the next minute, it’s the second trimester, and now he faces dysphoria and cravings (both for food and, surprisingly, sex). And then suddenly, he’s almost two weeks overdue with a litter of five, and he’s so very ready to not be pregnant anymore.

Kazuichi’s mother henning, though, is even less tolerable than the constant back pain, Gundham thinks. The final straw is when he dares to try and “fix” something in the grand nest Gundham’s built, and that earns him a swift reprimand along with an order from Gundham: _go fix something that is not me._

You’d think Gundham has told him he’s dying by all the whining and crying he gets in response, but eventually Gundham manages to convince Kazuichi to leave, just for a bit so he can have some time alone with his mother before the cubs come, and so Kazuichi can release some nervous energy by working on some sort of machine.

It works, for a bit, anyway. His mother sits with him in the nest while he talks about what he wants for the birth, taking quiet notice at the pauses he sometimes takes between words. At some point, Fern stops him, rests a gentle hand on his side. They say she-wolves have amazing intuition on matters like this, and it seems as though Fern is no different.

“Sweetheart,” she starts to say. “You might want to call Kazuichi and tell him to come home.”

“Why?” Gundham questions, foolishly.

“You’re going into labor, Gundham,” she replies, her voice calm and even.

Once again, he has a moment when everything clicks into place, and he’s so very glad he has Kazuichi on speed dial because his hands are shaking.

“It’s time,” Gundham says as soon as Kazuichi picks up the phone. “Come home right now.”


	2. with a whimper, not a bang. chapter two.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> things get more intense here.

Exactly ten minutes after making the call, the front door to the Tanaka house swings open and hits the wall with a bang as Kazuichi leaps over the threshold. Gundham’s never been happier to smell motor oil than when his fiance comes barreling through the door to their bedroom, streaks of grease still on his face.

By now, Gundham is upright on his knees, hoping the position and gravity will help with his labor and get the process moving. He’s already five centimeters dilated, and has no idea how long he’s been in active labor. In fact, he’s still a bit light-headed when Kazuichi makes his way over after taking off his stained jumpsuit and opting to wear his tanktop and sweatpants instead. His mate kneels down beside him, ears pricked and alert, tufted tail stiff and twitching at the end as he looks at Gundham.

“This is really happening,” Kazuichi murmurs to him after the contraction Gundham’s breathing through ends. Fern’s obviously been helping him, but she moves aside a bit when Kazuichi arrives, letting him take over for the time being. He takes one of Gundham’s hands in his own, and it’s not long before Gundham’s other hand is wrapped around his, too, squeezing tightly. “Oh my God. It’s happening.”

Gundham nods. “Yes, it -- it is. I know that better than any of you right now,” he says through clenched teeth. He turns his head over his shoulder to look at his mother, anxious energy clouding his odd-eyes. “Mother, I -- I need water.”

His mother gives him a few more encouraging words before she leaves for just a moment to get him water, and Gundham’s grip tightens on Kazuichi’s hand as soon as she leaves. It’s obvious that he’s in real pain, and Kazuichi can’t help but feel a little panicked when he looks at him with fear reflected in his eyes.

“I’m not ready,” Gundham confesses to him in a rush. “I -- I fear for them, my paramour. What if I cannot raise them?” His hands shake. “What if they grow to despise me as I have my own father?”

Kazuichi’s eyes soften as he strokes Gundham’s cheek with his free hand. “Gundham… you’re gonna be a great dad. You already are,” he says with as much confidence as he can muster. “It’s me I’m worried about. What if _I’m_ like _my_ dad?”

Gundham almost laughs at that. “You -- are _nothing_ like your father,” he says. “You could never -- reach his level of cruelty.”

Kazuichi smiles, leans over and kisses Gundham on the cheek. “Thanks, babe. Same to you, okay?”

By now, Fern’s back with the water, and Kazuichi holds it for him so Gundham can drink from the glass. When he’s finished, Kazuichi uses his free hand to rub between his shoulders, letting him lean against him as another contraction takes hold of his body.

The next few hours are more or less the same, with the only difference being Gundham’s change of position and the frequency of contractions. He switches to lie on his side, just for his own comfort and the fact that he’s growing tired and isn’t sure he can be on his knees much longer and keep his energy. To his credit, Gundham’s taking the labor well, but later he’ll insist it’s because Kazuichi is there, stroking his hair when he rests his head in his lap.

In turn, having Fern there helps Kazuichi stay calm. So of course, the most intense part of the labor starts when she goes to find more towels.

It happens when Gundham gives a little groan and sits up suddenly, using his arms to push himself up. The distress is obvious in his face and body language, and Kazuichi, for once, notices right away.

“You okay?” Kazuichi asks. Gundham shakes his head.

“No,” he says. “No, no, I --” Gundham puts both hands on Kazuichi’s shoulders, leaning heavy against him and giving a long, low groan. Not even ten seconds later, his water breaks, finally, and he heaves a heavy sigh of relief.

That only lasts about a minute, before Gundham looks at Kazuichi frantically. “Kazuichi,” he starts to say, the urgency clear in his voice. “Baby’s coming now.”

“Now?” Kazuichi parrots. “What -- you mean, you have to push?”

Gundham nods. “Yes, I have to push. _Now_.”

Kazuichi’s eyes widen with slight terror. “But -- your water _just_ broke,” he squeaks.

“I know that,” Gundham hisses. “But does it look like either of us are willing to wait?”

He’s got a point, Kazuichi thinks, so he does his best to channel his focus solely on Gundham, even when his mother returns and realizes what’s happening.

In just a little while, they’re going to be parents, and that thought is far more terrifying than anything either of them have ever experienced.


	3. the first.

Kazuichi supports Gundham again so he can get back on his knees, letting him lean against him while his mother checks his dilation. It turns out, Gundham wasn't lying at all when he said he needed to push.

"You're ready," Fern says after a few moments of silence. "Honestly? I'm surprised the cub hasn't come already with how low they are."

"I wish they would have come already," Gundham mutters, irritability and exhaustion clear in his voice. Kazuichi just rubs his back with the hand that isn't locked in his in a death grip. It's really the only thing he can think of to do at the moment, but it seems to be working. He can feel the shake of Gundham's shoulders, how tense his muscles are, and Kazuichi keeps his voice soft as he talks to him.

"You ready?" He asks, stroking Gundham's knuckles with his thumb. Surprisingly, he shakes his head.

"Not at all," he whimpers. "I -- no. I'm not."

"Hey," Kazuichi starts to say, moving his free hand from Gundham's back to take his chin in his palm for a moment. "Don't worry about it, okay? We're gonna do better."

Gundham manages a nod, so Kazuichi lets go of his face and runs his hand down his back again. At the same time, he tenses again, and when he speaks the urgency has returned to his voice. "I need to push." Kazuichi looks over Gundham's shoulder at Fern, who nods at him in silent agreement.

The pain Gundham feels from pushing is intense, and he cries out, grip tightening on Kazuichi's hand. Kazuichi squeezes back to give him some support, brushes hair from his eyes and murmurs to him softly while he pushes through the pain. The cry breaks his heart, but there's not much either of them can do except move forward at this point.

They're both incredibly thankful for Fern. She is, after all, the only one of them who has done this before, and there's no telling how much more stressful this would be without her. She keeps them both updated as everything progresses. though Kazuichi isn't entirely sure how much of it Gundham's actually hearing.

The birth of the first cub is usually the most difficult, and this one seems to be no different. The pushing goes on for an hour with little progress, before Gundham shudders and looks up at Kazuichi from where he's rested his head on his shoulder.

"I need to stand," he says quickly. "Help me up." Kazuichi looks helplessly from his fiance to Fern, and she blinks slowly at him.

"He knows what he needs," she says simply. Kazuichi takes that as a sign that it'll be fine, and he carefully helps Gundham stand on shaky legs. He's already exhausted, that much is obvious, but this is something that needs to be done with urgency.

The wolf-shifter leans heavily against Kazuichi as the next contraction comes, his sharp cry turning into a howl of pain. Even so, his shoulders drop with relief, and Kazuichi looks at him quizzically.

"She's moved," is all he manages to say before pushing again. Kazuichi just nods, keeps his hands on his hips and rubs circles there in an attempt to soothe him just a bit. They haven't talked much about the genders of their cubs, as it's not something either of them truly minds. That isn't to say it's something they don't think about; Kazuichi has said a few remarks on having a son once or twice, and now the dismissive ear flicks Gundham's given him each time makes sense.

When the contraction ends, Gundham relaxes his grip a bit, then tilts his head a little to look at his mate. He's still afraid, that much is obvious, and nervous, but there's a sense of clarity and purpose in his expression, too.

"It hurts," he groans, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment as pain pulses through him. "My back hurts."

"I've got you," Kazuichi murmurs in response, shifting one hand to rub his back. "It's alright. Don't worry about it, okay?" He smiles so sweetly, for a moment it's just the two of them in that moment, and Kazuichi leans forward to press his forehead against Gundham's. The meaning behind his brunting is clear; a friendly greeting in cat language that means so much more right now.

Gundham's next push ends with his eyes opening suddenly as he gives a more frightened cry, all while Kazuichi holds him up and looks at him with some worry. "It _burns_ , fuck," he snarls deeply, and though the swear is unexpected, Fern seems prepared for his statement.

"Baby's starting to crown," she says, her voice even and soothing. Gundham's grip eases a bit just at the sound of her voice. "Breathe right through the contractions, the head is big and your body needs time."

"I need her out," Gundham almost wails. Kazuichi holds him a little closer, rubs his back to soothe him.

"She'll come out, darling, but you don't need to hurt yourself," Fern continues. "She'll be fine. Just take deep breaths."

"You're gonna do fine," Kazuichi reminds him. "You can do this."

The crowning is the worst part, mainly because it takes so damn long. It's the first time during the labor that Gundham actually screams, and for the two of them, it feels like it takes an hour. In reality, it takes only a few minutes, but those few minutes of fiery pain are more than enough.

Finally, his mother speaks the words they've been waiting to hear: she's at a full crown. Gundham looks at Kazuichi with fear and uncertainty again, his voice trembling when he speaks. "Kazuichi --" He starts to say, and his mate strokes his hair soothingly.

"You can do this," he reminds him again. "Okay? Everything's gonna be fine. We're gonna have a baby."

Gundham nods, steadies his grip on Kazuichi before he gets back to pushing. The pain is still intense, with Gundham crying through each one, but at least he's making progress. Kazuichi can see Fern move out of the corner of his eye, but his complete focus is on Gundham and only Gundham right now. He barely hears the older woman saying that the head is out, but he knows when it happens because his mate relaxes just a bit.

When she asks if Gundham wants to touch her, his hands shake, but he manages to nod a yes. Kazuichi helps, takes his hand and guides it down carefully. This whole time, it's been painfully obvious that they're having a baby, but now that she's so close they can literally touch her, everything changes and becomes so much more clear.

"She's -- right there," Gundham finally says after a few quiet moments of awe. "She's there."

"Yeah, just a little while longer," Kazuichi murmurs, still keeping one arm wrapped around Gundham's back and the other supporting his hand. It feels like everything is completely out of his control, yet in control at the same time. It's terrifying, incredibly so, but it's somewhat calming at the same time.

Gundham's trembling doesn't stop, but he doesn't seem as scared as before. It's by no means an easy birth even once the head is out; her shoulders are broad (unsurprising) and though she doesn't get stuck, it's still incredibly painful waiting for her to turn before struggling through pushing the shoulders out. Finally, he gives one last cry, along with a final push that sees their daughter born into her fathers' hands.

The next few moments are something of a blur as his mother and Kazuichi help him settle into a corner of the nest, to unbutton his shirt so he can rest the newborn on his chest. It takes a few seconds, but she gives a squeaky mewling cry after that, showing clearly that her lungs and the rest of her are completely healthy.

Instinct takes over for all three of them once everything is finally settled. Kazuichi curls around Gundham, tightly but not too tight, and once she's made sure the cub is alright, Fern backs off a bit. Gundham may be her son, but for right now he's a new parent, and the last thing she wants to do is upset him. Gundham, on the other hand, doesn't let go of his daughter once her cord is cut and he can hold her more comfortably. Her cries quiet down into soft whimpers before long, and Gundham helps her to nurse. Thankfully, she latches on fine, and doesn't have any issue with it, as he's seen so many young creatures have before.

There's really no words to describe the moments after a child is born. Kazuichi stays curled around Gundham for some time as their daughter nurses, kneads his skin with her tiny hands and tiny claws. Gundham gently strokes her soft little cheek, taking a moment just to take in everything about her.

"She is the most beautiful being," he finally murmurs. "Entirely perfect."

"Course she is," Kazuichi agrees. "She's ours." He leans his head against Gundham's and purrs, a sweet sound from deep in his chest. "She's gonna be perfect no matter what. Plus, any kid that comes from you is gonna be perfect."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Gundham mumbles. Even so, there's a soft smile on his lips. "I adore her already."

"Me too." Kazuichi half-closes his eyes, completely content. "What's her name?"

Gundham has to think on that for a few moments, but he finally answers. "Sawako," he says strongly. "Sawako Tanaka."

"Sawako..." Kazuichi smiles down at their daughter. "It's beautiful."

Their family isn't quite complete just yet, but they've taken their first step. For them, things can only get better.


End file.
